The Non-Profit Security Grant Program (NSGP) provides funding support for hardening and other physical security enhancements to non-profit organizations that are at high risk of a terrorist attack and located within one of the specific Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI)-eligible Urban Areas. The program seeks to integrate the preparedness activities of non-profit organizations that are at high risk of a terrorist attack with broader state and local preparedness efforts. The NSGP also serves to promote coordination and collaboration in emergency preparedness activities among public and private community representatives as well as state and local government agencies.

The FY 2015 NSGP plays an important role in the implementation of the National Preparedness System by supporting the development and sustainment of core capabilities. Core capabilities are essential for the execution of each of the five mission areas outlined in the National Preparedness Goal (the Goal). Building and sustaining core capabilities requires the combined effort of the whole community, rather than the exclusive effort of any single organization or level of government. The FY 2015 NSGP’s allowable costs support efforts to build and sustain core capabilities across the Prevention, Protection, Mitigation, Response, and Recovery mission areas.
The Non-Profit Homeland Security Grant Program objective is to support efforts that:
• Build and sustain core capabilities
• Strengthen governance integration
• Encourage a whole community approach to security and emergency management.

Types of Assistance (060):

Project Grants

Uses and Use Restrictions (070):

The FY 2015 NSGP provides funding support for target hardening and other physical security enhancements and activities to nonprofit organizations that are at high risk of terrorist attack and located within one of the specific UASI-eligible Urban Areas. The intent of the FY 2015 NSGP is to competitively award grant funding to assist nonprofit organizations in obtaining the resources required to support the NPG associated mission areas and core capabilities. While funding is provided specifically to high-risk nonprofit organizations, the program seeks to integrate nonprofit preparedness activities with broader State and local preparedness efforts. It is also designed to promote coordination and collaboration in emergency preparedness activities among public and private community representatives, as well as State and local government agencies. NSGP grant recipients and sub-recipients may only use NSGP grant funds for the purpose set forth in the grant, and must be consistent with the statutory authority for the award. Grant funds may not be used for matching funds for other Federal grants/cooperative agreements, lobbying, or intervention in Federal regulatory or adjudicatory proceedings. In addition, Federal funds may not be used to sue the Federal government or any other government entity.
Pre-award costs are allowable only with the written consent of DHS and if they are included in the award agreement. Federal employees are prohibited from serving in any capacity (paid or unpaid) on any proposal submitted under this program. Federal employees may not receive funds under this award. In FY 2015, the total amount of funds distributed under this grant program will be $10,000,000. Each nonprofit organization must apply through their State Administrative Agency (SAA) for up to a $75,000 grant award. The FY 2015 NSGP funds will be allocated to organizations characterized as “Section 501(c)(3)” organizations under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C.) and deemed at high risk by the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Such nonprofit organizations must be located within one of the designated FY 2015 UASI-eligible Urban Areas.

Eligibility Requirements (080)

Applicant Eligibility (081):

The SAA is the only entity eligible to apply for FY 2015 NSGP funds on behalf of eligible nonprofit organizations (as described under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986) determined to be at high risk of terrorist attack and are located within one of the designated FY 2015 UASI-eligible Urban Areas. Eligible nonprofit organizations must provide their applications to their respective SAA in order to be considered for FY 2015 NSGP funding. SAAs, in coordination with the Urban Area Working Groups (UAWGs), are encouraged to notify and actively inform eligible nonprofit organizations of the availability of the FY 2015 NSGP – especially organizations that have not previously applied for or received NSGP funding. It is important to ensure that ALL eligible nonprofit organizations are afforded an opportunity to seek funding. Criteria for determining eligible applicants that are at high risk of terrorist attack include, but are not limited to:
• Identification and substantiation (e.g., police reports or insurance claims) of prior threats or attacks against the nonprofit organization or closely related organizations (within or outside the U.S.) by a terrorist organization, network, or cell.
• Symbolic value of the site(s) as a highly recognized national or historical institution that renders the site as possible target of terrorism.
• Role of the applicant nonprofit organization in responding to or recovering from terrorist attacks.
• Findings from previously conducted risk assessments including threat or vulnerability.

Preapplication coordination is required. Environmental impact information is not required for this program. This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review.

Applications will be reviewed in two phases to leverage local knowledge and understanding of the applicant’s risk of a terrorist attack, while also ensuring coordination and alignment with Federal, State, and local preparedness efforts.
• State Review: Applications must be submitted by the nonprofit organization to the SAA/UAWG (if they are separate entities), no later than 11:59 p.m. EDT, May 19, 2015 to ensure adequate time for a State review of nonprofit applications. The SAA, in coordination with the UAWG, is encouraged to conduct an initial review of all submitted applications from nonprofit organizations to first determine eligibility based on the established criteria. Once eligibility has been determined, the SAA will review and score compliant IJs using the FY 2015 NSGP Scoring Worksheet (see Appendix D- Investment Justification Scoring Worksheet of the FY 2015 NSGP Full Notice of Funding Opportunity and FY 2015 Prioritization of Investment Justifications Template (Office of Management and Budget Number 1660-0110/FEMA Form 089-24). The SAA should provide the scores from the State Review along with a prioritized list of NSGP projects. Each application should receive a unique rank. Rankings should be developed based on these two factors:
• Need – The relative need for the nonprofit organization compared to the other applicants.
• Impact – The potential impact of the nonprofit organization in achieving maximum prevention and/or protection results at minimal cost.
The SAA should ensure that information noted in the Prioritization of Investment Justifications accurately reflects the data noted in each organization’s IJ. While completing the Prioritization of Investment Justifications, the SAA should verify the Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number, Central Contractor Registration (CRR), 501(c)(3) Number, and legal organization name. Tracker information submitted by the SAA pertaining to a nonprofit(s) “Organization Type” and “Total Project Cost” will be considered during FEMA’s review and scoring process.
• Federal Review: The highest-scoring IJs from each submitting Urban Area will be reviewed by a panel of Federal evaluators. In order to determine the number of applications that will advance to the Federal Review, FEMA will multiply the available FY 2015 NSGP funding by 1.5 (150%). Applicants will then be selected from each submitting Urban Area, based on their State scores, using a top-down approach until the cumulative funding amount requested has reached 150 percent (150%).
• Final Score: To calculate the final score, the sum of each applicant’s Federal and State scores will be multiplied by a factor of three (3) for non-profit groups that are at a high risk of terrorist attacks due to their ideology, beliefs and mission, by a factor of two (2) for medical and educational institutions, and by a factor of one (1) for all others. All final application scores will then be sorted in descending order and awardees will be selected for funding from highest to lowest until the available FY 2015 NSGP funding has been exhausted. In the event of a tie during the funding determination process, priority will be given to nonprofit organizations that have not received prior year funding and those ranked highest by their SAA. FEMA will use the final results to make funding recommendations to the Secretary of Homeland Security.
NOTE: Upon award, recipients may only fund Investments that were included within the FY 2015 IJs that were submitted to FEMA and evaluated through the Federal review process.

Other Key Dates
Applying for FY 2015 NSGP funds requires a two-step process. Step 1: initial submission to determine eligibility and Step 2: full application. Applicants are encouraged to initiate Step 1 immediately after the Notice of Funding Opportunity, (NOFO) is published but no later than April 2, 2015. This involves submitting a complete Standard Form 424 to grants.gov Successful completion of this step is necessary for FEMA to determine eligibility of the applicant. Late submissions of Step 1 to grants.gov could result in applicants missing the application deadline in Step 2. Once FEMA has determined an applicant to be eligible, applicants can proceed to Step 2 which involves submitting the full application package via the Non Disaster (ND) Grants system. The submission deadline for the full application package is May 19, 2015. For additional details see Section X of the Full Notice of Funding Opportunity, (NOFO).

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time (095):

Applying for FY 2015 NSGP Program funds requires a two-step process. Step 1: initial submission to determine eligibility and Step 2: full application. Applicants are encouraged to initiate Step 1 as soon after the Notice of Funding Opportunity; (NOFO) is published at least 10 days before the May 19, 2015 11.59:59 PM (EDT) application deadline. This involves submitting a complete Standard Form 424 to grants.gov Successful completion of this step is necessary for FEMA to determine eligibility of the applicant. Late submissions to grants.gov to complete Step 1 could result in applicants missing the application deadline in Step 2. Once FEMA has determined an applicant to be eligible, applicants can proceed to Step 2 which involves submitting the full application package via the ND Grants system. The submission deadline for the full application package is May 19, 2015. The anticipated funding award date will be September 1, 2015.

Appeals (096):

Refer to the FY 2015 NSGP Notice of Funding Opportunity.

Renewals (097):

Refer to the FY 2015 NSGP Notice of Funding Opportunity.

Assistance Consideration (100)

Formula and Matching Requirements (101):

This program has no statutory formula.
Matching requirements are not applicable to this program.
MOE requirements are not applicable to this program.

The periods of performance outlined above support the effort to expedite the outlay of grant funding and provide economic stimulus. Agencies should request waivers sparingly, and they will be granted only due to compelling legal, policy, or operational challenges. For example, SAAs may request waivers from the deadlines outlined above for discretionary grant funds where adjusting the timeline for spending will constitute a verifiable legal breach of contract by the grantee with vendors or sub-recipients, or where a specific statute or regulation mandates an environmental review that cannot be completed within this timeframe or where other exceptional circumstances warrant a discrete waiver. For more information, refer to the FY 2015 NSGP Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOF0). See the following for information on how assistance is awarded/released: Based on program need. Grantees must accept their grant awards no later than 90 days from the award date. The grantee shall notify the awarding agency of its intent to accept and proceed with work under the award, or provide a written notice of intent to decline. Funds will remain on hold until the grantee accepts the award through official correspondence, e.g., written, electronic signature, signed letter or fax to GPD, and all other conditions of award have been satisfied, or the award is otherwise rescinded. Failure to accept the grant award within the 90 day timeframe may result in a loss of funds.

Post Assistance Requirements (110)

Reports (111):

All successful applicants for all DHS grant and cooperative agreements are required to comply with DHS Standard Administrative Terms and Conditions available within Section 6.1.1of http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/cfo-financial-management-policy-manual.pdf.
Upon approval of an application, the award will be made in the form of a grant. The date the approval of award is entered in the system is the “award date.” Notification of award approval is made through the ND Grants system through an automatic e-mail to the grantee point of contact listed in the initial application. Once an award has been approved and recorded in the system, a notice is sent to the authorized grant official. Follow the directions in the notification to accept your award documents. The authorized grant official should carefully read the award package for instructions on administering the grant and to learn more about the terms and conditions associated with responsibilities under Federal awards.
State Preparedness Report (SPR) Submittal. Section 652(c) of the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 (Public Law 109-295), 6 U.S.C. §752(c), requires any State that receives Federal preparedness assistance to submit an SPR to FEMA. States submitted the most recent SPR in December 2011 thus satisfying this requirement in order to receive funding under the FY 2012 NSGP.
Biannual Strategy Implementation Reports (BSIR). Grantees are responsible for completing and submitting the BSIR reports, as a complement to the programmatic performance report/SF-PPR. The BSIR is due within 30 days after the end of the reporting period (July 30 for the reporting period of January 1 through June 30; and January 30 for the reporting period of July 1 through December 31). Updated obligations and expenditure information must be provided within the BSIR to show progress made toward meeting strategic goals and objectives. The first BSIR is not due until at least six months after the award notice has been received by the grantee.
For more information, refer to the FY 2015 NSGP Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). Federal Financial Report (FFR) – required quarterly. Obligations and expenditures must be reported on a quarterly basis through the FFR (SF-425). A report must be submitted for every quarter of the period of performance, including partial calendar quarters, as well as for periods where no grant activity occurs. Future awards and fund draw downs may be withheld if these reports are delinquent. The final FFR is due 90 days after the end date of the performance period. FFRs must be filed electronically through PARS.
Grant Close-Out Process. Within 90 days after the end of the period of performance, grantees must submit a final FFR and final progress report detailing all accomplishments throughout the period of performance. After these reports have been reviewed and approved by FEMA, a close-out notice will be completed to close out the grant. The notice will indicate the period of performance as closed, list any remaining funds that will be deobligated, and address the requirement of maintaining the grant records for three years from the date of the final FFR. The grantee is responsible for returning any funds that have been drawn down but remain as unliquidated on grantee financial records.
For more information, refer to the FY 2015 NSGP Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). Performance Progress Report (SF-PPR). Awardees are responsible for providing updated performance reports using the SF-PPR (OMB Approval Number 0970-0334) on a semi-annual basis. The SF-PPR is due within 30 days after the end of the reporting period (July 30 for the reporting period of January 1 through June 30; and January 30 for the reporting period of July 1 through December 31). Grantees should submit the SF-PPR as an attachment to the ND Grants system. The SF-PPR can be accessed online at http://www.na.fs.fed.us/fap/SF-PPR_Cover%20Sheet.pdf.
For more information, refer to the FY 2015 NSGP Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOF0). Grantees are obligated to submit various financial and programmatic reports as a condition of their award acceptance. Please see below for a summary of financial and/or programmatic reports as required. Future awards and funds drawdown may be withheld if these reports are delinquent.
Federal Financial Report (FFR) – required quarterly. Obligations and expenditures must be reported on a quarterly basis through the FFR (SF-425). A report must be submitted for every quarter of the period of performance, including partial calendar quarters, as well as for periods where no grant activity occurs. Future awards and fund drawdowns may be withheld if these reports are delinquent. The final FFR is due 90 days after the end date of the performance period. FFRs must be filed electronically through PARS.
Grant Close-Out Process. Within 90 days after the end of the period of performance, or after a Grant Adjustment Notice (GAN) has been issued to close out a grant, whichever comes first, grantees must submit a final FFR and final progress report detailing all accomplishments throughout the period of performance. After these reports have been reviewed and approved by FEMA, a close-out notice will be completed to close out the grant. The notice will indicate the period of performance as closed, list any remaining funds that will be deobligated, and address the requirement of maintaining the grant records for three years from the date of the final FFR. The grantee is responsible for returning any funds that have been drawn down but remain as unliquidated on grantee financial records. Monitoring. Grant recipients will be monitored periodically by FEMA staff, both programmatically and financially, to ensure that the project goals, objectives, performance requirements, timelines, milestone completion, budgets, and other related program criteria are being met. Monitoring may be accomplished through either a desk-based review or on-site monitoring visits, or both. Monitoring will involve the review and analysis of the financial, programmatic, performance, compliance and administrative processes, policies, activities, and other attributes of each Federal assistance award and will identify areas where technical assistance, corrective actions and other support may be needed.

Audits (112):

In accordance with the provisions of 2 CFR 200, Subpart F - Audit Requirements, non-Federal entities that expend financial assistance of $750,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Non-Federal entities that expend less than $750,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in 2 CFR 200.503.

Records (113):

Grant records shall be retained for a period of 3 years from the day the recipient submits its final expenditure report. If any litigation, claim, negotiation, audit, or other action involving the records has been started before the expiration of the 3-year period, the records must be retained until completion of the action and resolution of all issues which arise from it, or until the end of the regular 3-year period, whichever is later. Grant records include financial and program/progress reports, support documents, statistical records, and other documents that support the activity and/or expenditure of the recipient or sub-recipient under the award.

Fiscal Year 2014: The Nonprofit Security Grant Program NSGP provides funding support for target hardening and other physical security enhancements and activities to nonprofit organizations that are at high risk of a terrorist attack and are located within one of the UASI-eligible urban areas. Fiscal Year 2015: The Nonprofit Security Grant Program NSGP provided $13,000,000 in funding support for target hardening and other physical security enhancements and activities to nonprofit organizations that are at high risk of a terrorist attack and are located within one of the UASI-eligible urban areas. Fiscal Year 2016: There are no proposed changes to the program or outcome at present.

Regulations, Guidelines, and Literature (140):

All successful applicants for all DHS grant and cooperative agreements are required to comply with DHS Standard Administrative Terms and Conditions available within Section 6.1.1of http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/cfo-financial-management-policy-manual.pdf.
Upon approval of an application, the award will be made in the form of a grant. The date the approval of award is entered in the system is the “award date.” Notification of award approval is made through the ND Grants system through an automatic e-mail to the grantee point of contact listed in the initial application. Once an award has been approved and recorded in the system, a notice is sent to the authorized grant official. Follow the directions in the notification to accept your award documents. The authorized grant official should carefully read the award package for instructions on administering the grant and to learn more about the terms and conditions associated with responsibilities under Federal awards.
For more information, refer to the FY 2015 NSGP Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).

The SAA is the only entity eligible to apply for FY 2015 NSGP funds on behalf of eligible nonprofit organizations (as described under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986) determined to be at high risk of terrorist attack and are located within one of the designated FY 2012 UASI-eligible Urban Areas. Eligible nonprofit organizations must provide their applications to their respective SAA in order to be considered for FY 2015 NSGP funding.
SAAs, in coordination with the UAWGs, are encouraged to notify and actively inform eligible nonprofit organizations of the availability of the FY 2015 NSGP—especially organizations that have not previously applied for or received NSGP funding. It is important to ensure that ALL eligible nonprofit organizations are afforded an opportunity to seek funding.
Criteria for determining eligible applicants that are at high risk of terrorist attack include, but are not limited to:
• Identification and substantiation (e.g., police reports or insurance claims) of prior threats or attacks against the nonprofit organization or closely related organizations (within or outside the U.S.) by a terrorist organization, network, or cell.
• Symbolic value of the site(s) as a highly recognized national or historical institution that renders the site as possible target of terrorism.
• Role of the applicant nonprofit organization in responding to or recovering from terrorist attacks.
• Findings from previously conducted risk assessments including threat or vulnerability.